Exploring how the Church distributes its riches and cares for the poor

By Amanda Eckert

Amanda Eckert, a consecrated woman of Regnum Christi,
is a graduate of Mater Ecclesiae College in Rhode Island
and currently lives and works in Louisiana. Her article originally
appeared in the Mater Ecclesiae Digest Spring-Summer 2012 edition.

In the
Gospel, Jesus’ apostles often questioned the reasoning behind their master’s
actions. During the last week of his life, while dining
in the home of a leading Pharisee, an important question
arose. A woman approached him with an expensive bottle of
perfume, shattered it, and anointed his feet with its contents.
One of his apostles came forward and asked, “Why was
this oil not sold for three hundred days´ wages and
given to the poor?" (New American Bible, Jn. 12.1-8). This
question, which was posed nearly two thousand years ago, still
echoes in society today. Popular impressions can exaggerate the wealth
of the Catholic Church because of the grandeur of its
cathedrals and its centuries-old treasures. The question then arises, “why
not use these riches to aid the poor?” In answer
to this question, a greater understanding of the nature and
missionary activity of the Church reveals that its apparent wealth
does not compromise its mission to help the needy.

The question, “why not use these riches to aid the
poor?” implies that the Church is an institution which has
amassed great wealth, and that this wealth is not used
to help the poor. However unfounded, these implications at least
hint at what is expected from the Catholic Church –
a Church that is concerned for the welfare of those
in need and reaches out with charitable activity. How does
the Church provide an answer to these claims? The answer
lies in her very nature.Pope Benedict XVI,
in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est says, “The Church´s deepest
nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the

word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising
the ministry of charity (diakonia)” (25). The question at hand,
then, touches upon the last two aspects: the celebration of
the sacraments and the exercise of the ministry of charity.

The Church erects places of worship, not as a
testimony against the poor, but for the purpose of celebrating
the sacraments. What at first glance seems inappropriate in the
midst of the miseries of humanity is upon closer examination
the most appropriate testimony of a relationship between God and
man. The celebration of the sacraments is a responsibility that
the Church claims by her nature. Therefore, the grandeur and
magnificence of a Catholic Church is fitting and proper, because
it is directed from man to God. Does not the
giver of the gift want to give the best to
the one he loves? This is especially true in the
celebration of the Eucharist. The supposed “superfluity” of the décor
in places of worship is a testimony to the love
of the Christian faithful for God and their faith in
his presence.Benedict XVI says:

Everything
related to the Eucharist should be marked by beauty. Special
respect and care must also be given to the vestments,
the furnishings and the sacred vessels, so that by their
harmonious and orderly arrangement they will foster awe for the
mystery of God. (Sacramentum Caritatis 41)

The beauty of a Church answers the
need of every man’s heart for what is good and
beautiful. Referring to the Sistine Chapel, John Paul II says
that “this is a priceless cultural and universal heritage…confirmed by
the countless pilgrims from every nation in the world who
come to admire… God himself meets the needs of man
who nurtures in his heart an ardent desire to be
able to see him” (1). Even a hunched homeless man
can enter a magnificent cathedral and lift his soul to
God amid his poverty.

Still, this
hunched homeless man, who represents the poor and needy of
the world, is not ignored by the Church. The beauty
of a cathedral is not a hindrance to his aid.Perhaps looking in from the outside, society can
see the physical wealth and beauty of the Church’s treasures.
Hence the accusatory question arises, “why not use these riches
to aid the poor?” It fails to see the true
wealth of the Church expressed in her exercise of the
ministry of charity. For the Church is the source of
limitless aid towards the destitute, the unfortunate, the unemployed, the
handicapped. This generous outreach on the part of the Church
is highly organized and institutionalized on an international scale. It
is so extensive that its coordination requires the pontifical council
Cor Unum for Human and Christian Development.This
council “acts as the executive instrument of the Pope for
humanitarian initiatives in cases of disaster or in an integral
promotion of humanity. It also promotes catechesis and information networking”
(“Leader of Catholic Charities…” 1).From war-torn lands
to poverty stricken slums, from centers for single mothers to
the catechetical classrooms, the Church is a vigorous testimony of
tireless outreach to the disadvantaged. Refugees, immigrants, the marginalized, victims
of natural disasters…all who are in need can find help
from the Catholic Church. This wealth of charitable works that
amounts to an operation is rooted in the Church’s very
nature, as Pope Benedict states in Deus Caritas Est: “For
the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity
which could equally well be left to others, but is
a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her
very being” (25).

The true “wealth” of the Church does not
lie in her buildings, but in the hearts of those
who worship within them. Therefore, the Church’s cathedrals do not
bear witness to an external or superfluous wealth. They testify
to the inherent beauty of the faithful who join in
the sacramental liturgy and are imbued with the ability to
go out and help the poor. A beautiful church does
not stand in opposition to charitable works, but rather, it
acts as a help for the faithful to raise their
minds and hearts to God. Hearts centered on God will
reach out to the poor.In Sacrosanctum Concilium,
the Second Vatican Council proclaims:

The liturgy is the summit toward
which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is
the font from which all her power flows. For the
aim and object of apostolic works is that all who
are made sons of God… should come together to praise
God in the midst of His Church (no. 10).

What was Jesus’ response to the apostle that questioned
him “why was this not given to the poor” (Jn.
12:5)? He replies, “You always have the poor with you,
but you do not always have me." (Jn. 12:8). He
implies that an encounter with God is the basis for
any true encounter with the poor. It is fitting that
this contact with him should bear the marks of beauty
and love, for nothing is too extravagant for God. Without
Christ as the center and drive of apostolic initiative and
activity, the Church’s works would be worth nothing. In the
end, the Church remains faithful to her deepest nature through
the celebration of the sacraments, where the faithful meet Christ
in order to meet the poor.